St. John's University Athletics
Volleyball Postcard: Greetings From Vietnam Part XI
5/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
- St. John's Volleyball Travels To Vietnam
Hey Everyone!
I got one of the coolest days to write about. However, it did start out way too early with us leaving the hotel around 8 a.m. for the School for Disabled Children. It was a long ride to the school, so most of us used the free time to take a nap. When we arrived at the school, about 45 students were waiting for us in a small classroom. Then a group of deaf and mute children did a choreographed dance for us. It was cool to see them move in sync especially since they couldn???t hear the music. The principal then spoke about how the school came to exist and also how much our visit meant to them. After all the speeches were done, we were able to have some fun with the kids. We handed out t-shirts and snacks, took pictures and showed the children how to use a camera. I felt like we really got a chance to know them. Even though we speak a different language than them, you could really see the appreciation and gratitude on their faces.
After this we left the school, Dr. Le took us to a Buddhist temple. We had to walk up this humongous hill. In my opinion, this hill was worse than any preseason beach run, but we all made it. We gathered in front of the temple and Dr. Le had the abbot explain the basic principles of Buddhism. The main goal is to attain enlightenment, either through personal discipline or through helping others. Inside the temple was a huge Buddha, adorned with candles and flowers. I took the opportunity to reflect a little bit about the trip, my family and friends and about the future now that I???m a St. John's graduate! Buddhism is really a fascinating belief that I plan to learn more about.
After taking another group photos, we walked down the hill and took the long drive back to the city. Naps were taken once again and then once we were back in the city we had lunch. Unfortunately, we were unable to go to the silk village as planned because of time constraints. So we returned to the hotel, and watched some T.V. and before you knew it, we were taking nap number three!
We finally woke up and started getting ready for our Gala Dinner at the Hilton. In normal female fashion, we got all dolled up since we didn???t have very many opportunities to look cute on this trip. Remember, it is about 100 percent humidity here. The sweaty look is so not in style this season.
We got to the Hilton around six and had about an hour before dinner started. We took lots of pictures and mingled with some of the guests. Once the dinner started it was non-stop entertainment. There were numerous acts including some popular Vietnamese singers, a couple children performers and two fashion shows. I really enjoyed this little boy who I think was rapping in Vietnamese. He should find an agent because he is definitely going to be famous one day. Oh, and the food was good, too. I tried salmon for the first time. My daddy would be so proud because I usually don???t eat seafood. Also, the dinner raised about $6000 to be donated to the School for Disabled Children. Most importantly, we, as ambassadors for St. John???s and the United States, really got to see how much this trip meant to the country of Vietnam.
Well its getting late and we have to get up early???again! We are all really excited for our cruise the next two days. We will have the chance to relax and get a good tan. So, to all my family, friends and loved ones in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and wherever else you may be, thank you so much for your unconditional love and support of me. I really don???t know where I would be without you all. Good night and see you when we get back!
Jenna Schweitzer #4
